New Theme Park Attractions Opening in 2010

IAPPA has updated their list of major attractions opening at theme parks around the world in 2010. It’s quite a banner year. If the list looks thin when it comes to Disney Parks, that’s because most of Disney’s new stuff will be opening between 2011 and 2013.

“Each year parks and attractions look for new and innovative ways to entertain guests and provide unique opportunities for friends and families to spend quality time together,” said Charlie Bray, president and CEO for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. “2010 is shaping up to be an exciting year as several multi-million dollar, record-breaking investments have already been announced.”

Here’s a preview of some of the new developments already announced throughout the world for 2010:North America:

In spring 2010, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa Bay, Fla., will welcome families to an all-new, Sesame Street-themed playland featuring Elmo, Big Bird, and all their friends. “Sesame Street Safari of Fun” will feature rides, shows, and adventures that celebrate the spirit of Africa, including a new “Air Grover” family roller coaster. www.buschgardens.com

Canada’s largest themed waterpark, Calypso Waterpark, is scheduled to open in June 2010 in Limoges, Ontario. The park will span more than 100 acres and feature 35 waterslides and a 50,000-square-foot wave pool. www.calypsopark.com

Carowinds in Charlotte, N.C., will introduce a new roller coaster inspired by racing legend, Dale Earnhardt. The 232-foot-tall “Intimidator” will send riders plummeting down a 211-foot first drop, then race at 75 miles per hour through more than a mile of high-speed twists, turns, and seven more extreme drops. www.carowinds.com

Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, will open a new 2,100-foot-long water thrill ride, “Shoot the Rapids,” which simulates white-water rapids. The three-minute ride will take guests on 10-passenger boats through a ride complete with an 85-foot drop and meandering rivers along the Frontier Trail and Millennium Island. www.cedarpoint.com

A $1 million water slide is planned for Dollywood’s Splash CountryWater Adventure Park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Modeled after one of Dolly Parton’s favorite childhood activities, the “Slick Rock Racer” will span 300 feet and feature four side-by-side lanes with riders belly down on mats sliding downhill head first. http://www.dollywoodssplashcountry.com/

Holiday World in Santa Claus, Ind., will open the second-largest ride addition in the park’s history in 2010. Touted as the world’s longest water coaster, “Wildebeest” is one-third of a mile long and will cover more than two acres. The new water coaster will feature four-person rafts in which guests will experience a 38-foot drop at a 45-degree angle and travel up and down seven additional hills, three tunnels, and around a helix. http://www.holidayworld.com/

Kennywood in West Mifflin, Pa., will introduce a new roller coaster for 2010. The new launch coaster “Sky Rocket” will take riders from zero to 50 miles per hour in less than three seconds. The ride will feature a 95-foot vertical climb, a 90-degree plummet, three inversions, and a corkscrew. www.kennywood.com

Kings Dominion in Doswell, Va., will also introduce a Dale Earnhardt-themed coaster, the “Intimidator 305.” This 305-foot-tall gravity-driven roller coaster takes riders along 5,100 feet of steel track at 92 miles per hour. www.intimidator305.com

“Flying Turns” will open for the 2010 season at Knoebels Amusement Park in Elysburg, Pa. The thrill ride features a train that rides in a trough guided by the curved walls surrounding it. The cars are allowed to freewheel with the centripetal force creating the effect of a bobsled ride. www.knoebels.com

La Ronde in Montreal, Quebec, will introduce a suspended roller coaster. The ride features five inversions, more than 2,200 feet of track, and two 20-passenger trains. www.laronde.com

LEGOLAND California Resort in Carlsbad, Calif., will open the world’s first LEGOLAND Waterpark this June. The park will include a lazy river, several water slides, a splash tower, spray LEGO models, and two beach areas. www.legolandwaterpark.com

Nashville Shores in Nashville, Tenn., will expand this year with new attractions including a 25,000-square-foot wave pool and a 1,000-foot-long lazy river. www.nashvilleshores.com

Noah’s Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., will open a 10-story-high looping tube waterslide, “Scorpion’s Tail.” Riders of America’s first looping water slide will zip through the 45-degree-angle loop-de-loop at speeds up to 40 mph. www.noahsarkwaterpark.com

Quassy Amusement Parkwill open “Free Fall ‘N,” a family-friendly drop-tower ride. With a circular seating arrangement, the ride will lift 12 riders to the top of the tower before releasing the ring of seats for a series of thrilling drops. www.quassy.com

Seabreeze Amusement Park in Rochester, N.Y., will open “Revolution 360°.” Guests will face outward aboard a giant disk which rotates 360 degrees in both directions five stories high. www.seabreeze.com

Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo., kicks off its year long 50th Anniversary celebration with the opening of “Tom & Huck’s RiverBlast.” Raft riders and spectators, armed with water soakers, battle each other raft-to-raft and raft-to-shore. http://www.bransonsilverdollarcity.com

Opening Memorial Day at Six Flags Great America near Chicago, Ill., is the new “Glow in the Park Parade,” featuring state-of-the-art floats, intricate light design, and Cirque-style music. The “Glow in the Park” nighttime parade will start in Hometown Square and will take approximately 30 minutes to wind through four themed sections, including Carousel Plaza, Orleans Place, and Mardi Gras.www.sixflags.com/greatAmerica

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Jackson, N.J.,will open “Tornado,” a seven-story water ride that will send passengers plummeting down a tunnel into a 60-footwide funnel. www.sixflags.com/HurricaneHarborNJ

Inspired by J.K. Rowling’s best-selling novels, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter a multimillion-dollar project at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Fla., will provide visitors with an immersive experience. Opening in spring 2010, the new world within the park will transcend generations and bring the wonder and magic of the amazingly detailed Harry Potter books and films to life. www.universalorlandoresort.com/harrypotter

Europe:

Alton Towers Resort in Staffordshire, England will open “Thirteen,” a roller coaster which will take riders into the Dark Forest. www.altontowers.com

The “Cobra” coaster will open at Conny-Land in Lipperswil, Switzerland. The shuttle coaster will travel at 52.8 miles per hour and feature more than 705 feet of track with a 118-foot-drop. www.connyland.ch

De Efteling in the Netherlands will open a new dual wooden roller coaster, “George and the Dragon.” Two separate tracks, “Fire” and “Water,” will comprise the coaster, each a total 700 meters in length, with a maximum height of 21 meters.www.efteling.nl

The newly reconstructed Grand Pier in North Somerset, England will reopen in the summer of 2010. The attraction will feature a 90 meter-high panoramic tower providing up to 40 guests at a time a spectacular view of the town. The pier will also introduce a new fun house, go-kart track, surf board ride, laser room, and mirror maze. www.grandpierwsm.co.uk

A mine train-themed coaster, “Tren de la Mina,” will open in Isla Mágica park in Seville, Spain. The steel sit-down coaster cost an estimated €4 million and is manufactured by Vekoma. www.islamagica.es

At Nürburgring in Nürburg, Germany, the new “ring°racer” will take guests from zero to 135 in 2.5 seconds. The Nürburgring is a motorsport race track known in Germany as “The Ring, ” and the new roller coaster is part of a new entertainment area created in 2009 called “ring°werk.” www.nuerburgring.de

A “Monster” is coming to Walygator Parc in Lorraine, France. The coaster features loops, a zero-gravity roll, cobra roll, and two corkscrews. www.walygatorparc.com

Zoosafari Fasanolandia in Puglia, Italy, will open the “Euro Fighter,” a steel sit-down coaster that travels at 43.5 miles per hour and features three inversions. The park touts the attraction as a revolutionary roller coaster suited to an audience of real daredevils. www.zoosafari.it

Middle East:

With more than 20 rides and attractions, including the world’s fastest roller coaster, Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi is set to be the world’s largest indoor theme park, sitting under a roof designed in the style of a classic double-curve body shell of a Ferrari GT car. www.yasisland.ae/FerrariWorld_en_gb.html

Asia:

In January 2010, the World Chocolate Dream Park opened in Beijing, China, featuring a life-sized edible Terracotta Army, a replica of the Great Wall of China, and chocolate versions of famous paintings. The park is located at the Olympic Green, which includes the Bird’s Nest stadium and the Water Cube aquatics center used during the Beijing Summer Olympic Games.

Universal Studios Singapore, a new theme park opening this year, will include a dueling roller coaster and state-of-the-art attractions. “Battlestar Gallactica,” themed after the popular television series, will feature one inverted track for thrill seekers and one sit-down for families. “Madagascar: A Crate Adventure,” will bring DreamWorks Animation’s blockbuster movie “Madagascar” to life with an innovative indoor boat ride featuring animated figures, digital projection, evocative sound, and special effects. Far, Far Away Castle — from the movie “Shrek,”— will house attractions such as “Shrek 4-D,” “Donkey Live,” and “Magic Potion Spin.” www.rwsentosa.com/en_universalstudio.html

About IAAPA
IAAPA, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions is the premier trade association for the attractions industry worldwide. Founded more than 90 years ago, IAAPA is the largest international trade association for permanently situated amusement facilities and attractions and is dedicated to the preservation and prosperity of the attractions industry.IAAPA represents more than 4,000 attraction, supplier, and individual members from more than 90 countries. Visit IAAPA online at www.IAAPA.org.

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